In this episode, we talk about a trap we can fall into when it comes to living out our vocation. This is the trap of ‘If Only’ which can cause us to miss the good God is inviting us to in the now as we experience it.

In this episode, we talk about a spiritual warfare tool we can use to combat the lies of the devil. We will be using two scripture verses as our guide.

2 Corinthians 10:5: We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Phillippians 4:8: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

Today’s episode is based on talk four from the Life in the Spirit Seminar series.

We begin with Acts 2:38: And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

We continue on the discuss how these three elements – repentance, forgiveness, and conversion – help to prepare our hearts to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We pick up where we left off in the previous episode on new life and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In this episode, we will talk further on what some of the charismatic gifts are. We will also talk about how some of our more natural gifts can receive a deeper, charismatic element as part of our experience of the new life God desires to give us.

Today’s episode is the first part of talk three from the Life in the Spirit seminar series. In this episode, we will be discussing what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is and how gifts are one of the ways God invites to participate in new life with Him.

The text for today’s episode is the story of the healing of the ten lepers from Luke 17:11-19. We will be taking a closer look at what faith is and some lessons on faith we can learn from the scriptures.

Today’s text comes from Matt 8:23-27 and is the story of Jesus calming a storm at sea. We also discuss the importance of textual context in understanding Scripture by tying back to the preceding story on the would-be followers of Jesus. Then we discuss some lessons we can learn on discipleship from both of these stories.

There’s no Scripture for today’s episode. Instead, we talk about the importance of articulating your priorities and then examining how the decisions you are making lineup with those priorities. We also talk about the need to manage, not eliminate, the tension between different priorities.

Today’s episode features Matt 7:7 in the context of a discussion on discernment. We also explore some of the general differences between translations of the Bible as well as discuss what an impramatur and nihil obstat are.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matt 7:7)

Today’s episode is based on Matt 10:5-15, the story of The Mission of the Twelve. We especially focus on this passage from the text: “And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town.”

Today’s episode is based on two passages from Scripture which have something to teach us about spiritual warfare. We are also going to discuss renunciation, which is a tool you can use in spiritual warfare.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:12)

Today we take a look at paragraphs 2041-2043 of the Catechism which talk about the why and the what of the five precepts of the Catholic Church. We’re also going to go over seven tips you can use to get more out of your Mass experience.

We’re wrapping up our series with this episode focusing on the answer of ‘No.’ We usually don’t like hearing ‘No.’ We’ll be looking at a time when Jesus received the answer ‘No’ to one of His prayers in Luke 22:39-47, 54.

Continuing our series on petitions we’ll be looking at the response of ‘Not That Way’ today. This episode’s Bible story comes from the book of Acts and is about St Peter and the healing of a lame beggar (Acts 3:1-10).

Typically when the word ‘evangelization’ gets used we automatically think of missionaries going to foreign lands to preach to the unchurched. There’s also a movement in the Catholic church which focuses on something called ‘the new evangelization.’ This movement shares the Gospel message with those who already have some familiarity with it but haven’t fully engaged with it.

We’re going to take a look at some lessons on evangelization we can learn from a familiar Bible story about fishing. You can find this story in the Gospel of Luke 5:1-11.

Today’s episode concludes our 4-part series on vocations. We’ve talked about consecrated life and we’ve talked about married life–what else is there to talk about? Single life!

And so the controversy begins. Some people argue that the single life is not a vocation at all, but a sort of no man’s land which exists before you find your actual vocation. In this episode we build a case for why the single life should be considered a vocation and why the single life is the poster child for the forgotten vocation.

We are continuing the 4-part series on vocations. Today’s episode takes a look at the general vocation of marriage. We’re also going to address two of the goods of marriage, namely the good of the spouses and children.

Today’s episode continues the 4-part series on vocations. We are going to be taking a look at what the vocation to religious life is. We’re also going to address an issue called ‘clericalism’ which has to do with a way in which this vocation can be forgotten to be lived as a vocation.

Today’s episode kicks off a four-part series on vocations. We’re going to be taking a look at the general types of vocations and also how those vocations are lived out and how they can become ‘forgotten’ vocations.

In this first episode, we’re going to start by answering what exactly a vocation is and what that means for us.

If you’ve been Catholic for a while then you’ve probably heard these accusations before: You Catholics worship Mary! You Catholics pray to statues! You Catholics are just a bunch of Idolaters!

So some bad news: some of our traditional Catholic practices can easily be mistaken for idolatry. But there’s good news! And that good news is our traditional Catholic practices aren’t actually idolatry!

In today’s episode we’re going to debunk four of the accusations of idolatry that tend to get thrown at Catholics: the veneration of Mary, the use of images and statues, when we ask the saints to intercede for us, and the practice of Eucharistic adoration.

Today we conclude the two-part Theology of the Body series. The last episode covered how we are all made in the image and likeness of God. We also talked about how we are made to love as God loves in way that is free, total, faithful, and fruitful.

This episode is all about how our being created male and female is an important aspect of being made to image God’s love. It’s also an important part of being made for union and communion not only with each other but also with God.

If you’ve ever heard any talk on Theology of the Body you’re probably thinking you know where this episode is going. And that’s a shame, because there is so much more to it than that tiny silver most Theology of the Body talks focus on.

We’re going to take a look at what some of that more of Theology of the Body is in a two part series. This first part focuses on the truth that we are made in the image and likeness of God.

One of the things Jesus shows us on the road to Calvary is that everything does not have to be perfect in your world for you to be able to help someone else carry their cross. You can be suffering and also help someone else who is suffering. We need to have concern for our neighbors even when things are hard for us too.

Three texts for today’s episode! How can this be? Because the Gospels only devote a few verses to the carrying of the cross, with the exception of Luke who relates a separate incident along the way.

So from Mark 15:20-21 we get this: And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

From John 19:17 we get this: So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.

And Luke 23:26 gives us this: And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

We’re going to take a closer look at what it means to carry the cross as well as something we can learn from the character of Simon of Cyrene.

Today we start a new series for Lent called ‘No Greater Love.’ Over these next few weeks we are going to follow along with the story of Jesus’ passion and death as related in the Gospels. Today’s episode will focus on Jesus as we see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

“The ways of holiness are many according to the vocation of each individual.” – St John Paul II

Holiness comes in so many different flavors we can’t name them all. This is because we don’t all have exactly the same vocation. Every single saint is a different flavor of holiness that is different and yet still holy!

We continue on with Mary as she journeys with St Joseph to Bethlehem. Here in these final days leading up to the birth of the Christ, Mary gets a major curveball thrown her way. How she responds to this contains a great lesson for us as we continue to learn from her how to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives.

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image…you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…” Ex 20:3-5 & Dt 5:7-9.

This first commandment has two parts. The first part is “You shall have no other gods before me. The second part is about graven images. Sometimes we run these two parts together and come away with the idea idolatry is simply worshiping graven images. Idolatry, however, is often much more subtle than totem poles and statues.

There are different types of games. The most common are competitive where the players work against each other trying to win. There are also games which are cooperative where the players work together to try to accomplish an objective in order to win.

The process of discernment is more like a playing a cooperative game than a competitive game.